| Lijiang part 1 |
May 29, 2008 6:37 am
489 Views | Lijiang is located one hour away from Chengdu and has the best preserved ancient town in China - the Old Town which has been listed in the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 1997. Lijiang is also the main region inhabited by Naxi Group, one of China's 55 minority ethnic groups. So for me a good reason to go here.
Back at home, a long time before the trip started, I saw photos and fell in love. I love seeing original cultures not overwhelmed by the big tourist industry, so I wanted to go.
The flight was good. I expected to be sitting in a small and old plane with a one tooth pilot, but instead I got an Airbus and even a little snack. It was great, so now I know in the future trips I will be taking the plane more often, especially since the price was about 70 euro's a
person.
In the skies I saw Lijiang and it was beautiful. It's located between mountains and covered with lots of greens and old villages. The weather was great and the sky blue.
After a one hour drive with the airport bus, we hopped in a taxi which drove us to the hotel. The hotel was booked by my girlfriend and located in the Old Town of Lijiang. I saw the photos and it would be a great room. But when we
arrived there it turned out the room (there was only one nice room) was already booked, even though my girl made the reservation for it months ago. So we got a different room and I was not pleased because it looked like we were
living in a tool shed with a hard bed. The room was as small as the bed and the bath room looked equally small. The tiles on the wall were grey, old and flies were swarming in and out the open windown, probably attracted by the open toilet. Don't get me wrong.. this was a normal house in these regions and not a bad place to live in if you are used to it, but my mind was set on a nice and fresh room and especially a softer bed then this one, so I had a hard time adjusting. People liking to camp would love this little authentic place. I was just not pleased we got a different room. So that evening, while walking through the beautiful Old Town, we found a different hotel with the name 'Grand' in it and I booked a room with my credit card. My back demanded a good nights rest, so I obeyed. We stayed there for a few days and it was a good hotel. They even had an western breakfast with eggs, pancakes, but also noodles and rice. It was Ok, but not great. I didn't care. My back liked the bed, so that was good enough.
That night we walked around and had dinner. I had yak meat and it was better then I thought. Only we also had plans to see a local Naxi concert with traditional instruments. I must confess it was kinda boring when I saw it and the whole day and the tiredness finally took it's toll, so I was not in a great mood anymore. Luckily this was the only time the idea of being in a country far far away bothered me. I missed my bed and bread in the morning. But I had a
great girl in return, so in the days to come I complained less and less.
There are many things to do and see in Lijiang so we decided for a tour to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I've never been on a mountain and it sounded interesting.
The ticket was ordered at a little restaurant called Susan's place and we were ready.
The weather wasn't great. There was rain and fog, but I was still excited (and in a better mood). We would be standing on top of a high mountain. I brought a coat and my girl was still freezing with hers on, even though we weren't on the mountain yet. The temperature had dropped
to 16 degrees that day with some rain, but since she normally lives in a tropical place, it was already pretty cold for her. I didn't mind because she held me tight to keep warm.
We arrived at a place 3200 meters high and they sold tea and other kinds of herbs. A good place to go to the toilet for me before we left again.
We all had our rented oxygen bottle and thick coat when we were standing there in the waiting line to go up with a elevator. There was no snow yet, so I figured we needed to get even higher then we were already. For me the cold was nothing serious yet, so I didn't use my coat. I was tough and especially since I was there with my girl. Men and there male hormones 
The top was white and cold. Still not cold enough for me, but the coat was handy this time. I felt my head. I had a headache and felt dizzy, so also the oxygen bottle was very useful.
Many people were throwing snowballs and used a sleigh to glide from the hills. They all had fun. Me and my girl made photos to proof we were actually at the height of 4506 meters. I felt proud and told her I loved her just before I kissed her with passion.
Recommended: Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain | |
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